Before anything else, I’d like to say CONGRATS! You’re about to become an awesome mom and you’re now in your 12th week.

You must be feeling so excited right now — oh, and not just excitement of course… A plethora of emotions are running all over your body. You may feel excited this minute, then nervous the next. Being pregnant is like going on an extreme roller coaster ride – it’s fun, exciting, and scary all at the same time.

But here you are, and you’ve made it through 12 week ultrasound gracefully. Your baby is still a long way from coming out but since you’re in the last week of your first trimester, there’s been plenty of changes in both your body and your baby’s appearance.

Week 12 for Your Baby

By the 12 week ultrasound, your baby is approximately 6 cm long. The baby is much more solid in form now. Unfortunately, predicting the baby’s gender is still highly unlikely at this stage. Sure, the doctor could make a wild guess based on the ultrasound, but it still won’t be reliable at this point.

By doing an ultrasound, you’ll be seeing your baby move a lot more. Of course you’re already feeling your child’s wild movements inside your tummy, but with the ultrasound, you’ll be able to actually see what your baby is doing inside of you. Some mothers claim that they already feel a lot of movement from the baby by now, while some are actually surprised that the ultrasound shows plenty of movement from the baby, yet they don’t feel a thing. It’s mostly case to case basis.

If you were wondering if you’d be able to get a glimpse of your child’s eyes, no matter how blurry the video is, then I’m sorry to disappoint you but your baby’s eyelids are still shut at this point.

The good news though is that your baby’s bones are starting to become strong and harder. 12-14 weeks of pregnancy means that your baby’s skeleton is still primarily made out of cartilage. After a few weeks though, the bones will become stronger and firm. You’d wonder how a baby can be so fragile while inside your stomach, but again, that’s really the beauty and wonder of pregnancy.

As far as your baby’s organs and intestines are concerned, they are also rapidly developing. For one, your baby’s kidneys will start to excrete urine to the bladder. Intestines on the other hand will start to grow at this stage.

Your baby’s movements will also be more fluid at this week. He will be moving his fingers and toes a lot more, and yes, thumb sucking also starts at this stage (it starts that early!).

Moreover, your baby is still in its early stages of development, but the ultrasound is really crucial because it’s often the start of your baby’s fast growth.

Week 12 For You

It’s the last week of your trimester and you should be feeling great. By this time, the morning sickness and constant fatigue should be dying down a bit.

In some cases, week 12 signifies a complete recovery from morning sickness. Some claim that during the time you get a 12 week ultrasound, the regular rush to the toilet for ‘you-know-what’ usually stops. And because you’re kinda used to the grind, you’ll be feeling less tired than before.

As far as your hormones are concerned, there’s some bad news… You’re still as hormonal as ever and it will last until you give birth to your child. But hey, women are naturally moody so it’s fine!

Kidding aside, your hormones will always be all over the place. You’ll find yourself more sensitive and more emotional — even about the littlest of things. Tell your husband to be extra patient and understanding because it’s definitely going to be a roller coaster ride for the both of you.

However, you’re also most likely to have stronger food cravings. You’ll be asking for random things to eat. This will continue to become a trend until the late stages of your pregnancy. This is normal, and again, it’s up to your husband and other family members to understand you, and quite frankly, just give you what you want.

What You Should Be Doing Right Now

Although at this point, you may have either underwent your ultrasound or not, but if you’re already 12 weeks pregnant, here are a few things that you should be doing right now:

1. Preparation

By now, you already have an idea of what’s going on inside your tummy. Even though you can’t see your baby in full form yet, you at least have an idea of what he or she looks like. This is actually when it all sinks in, you know. By week 12 week ultrasound, you’ll actually realize that THIS IS IT, you are actually going to be a mother in a few months.

On that note, preparation is key. Even if you don’t know the gender of your baby yet, you should be cooking up names at this point. You can also be looking to buy generic baby clothes, regardless of gender. Perhaps going through catalogues of baby cribs as well.

There’s nothing wrong with preparing early on, because as you go further along your pregnancy, you may not have the energy to do all these things anymore. So it is indeed best to start early – a few weeks later is a good time to do that.

2. List Names

Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter. It’s time to shortlist a few good names. In a few weeks, you’ll be able to find out the gender of your baby, so it’s best that you’re ready for it when the time comes.

3. Take Care of Yourself

Get some sleep, and eat right. This is a crucial stage of pregnancy and you have no business tiring yourself daily or not getting enough sleep. You should be getting a healthy 7-8 hours of sleep at night, and most importantly, you should be eating healthy food. (Click here to check out the foods you should avoid). Remember, you are no longer just eating for yourself, but for your baby as well.

The Bottomline

Smile, have fun, relax… You’re going to be a full-time mother in a few months. Enjoy your week 12 ultrasound and make the most out of it, because soon enough you’ll be able to see your baby grow into his/her own body.

I know you’re excited to learn your baby’s gender and you’ll have that chance the next time you come back to your OB. For now, just prepare and take care of yourself. After all, your baby’s counting on you!